15th August 1869: Invasion Of The Ladybirds!

[Weather-history]

A report I discovered from 15th August 1869

"Remarkable clouds of ladybirds came across the English Channel and settled all over the southeastern counties."

From the Times of August 1869

[Andy Bown]

That is a fascinating read. I recall being near Portsmouth (my dad says we were at Southsea) when a child and there being a swarm of them.

[Methuselah]

In 1976 the sky was full of them.

[Let_it_snow]

Dont know if anyone has any data on the 1869/70 winter but would be quite interesting if it was a cold winter. I wonder if there was any reports of Ladybirds like this in 1962/63?

[Crepuscular Ray]

I remember being in north Norfolk at some point in the late 1960s/early 1970s (probably round late August) and every surface was smothered in them, particularly on the dunes at Wells. They bit like fury and my Grandad was livid as they bit through the back of the flowers on his runner beans to get to the pollen rather than use the normal route and he didn't get a single bean.